New Orleans man sentenced to four years in federal prison for health care fraud

A New Orleans man who worked for a Harvey business that provided personal care services to Medicaid recipients who were unable to care for themselves was sentenced to four months in prison today by a federal court judge for fraud.

Taurus Robinson, 33, also was placed on four months home confinement after his prison sentence is completed, according to U. S. Attorney Jim Letten's office. Robinson also was ordered by U.S. District Judge L.C. Feldman to pay more than $32,000 in restitution after he was convicted of health care fraud in February.

Authorities said Robinson worked for A New Beginning of New Orleans, a Medicaid provider located in Harvey, and that Robinson falsely created timesheets for services he claimed to have provided Medicaid recipients. According to federal authorities, Medicaid paid the company $32,135 for services that were never performed.

At least eight people have been been charged in the case. From 2001 to 2005, the company made nearly $4 million in fraudulent claims, authorities said.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Inspector General, and the Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrice Harris Sullivan, Jordan Ginsberg and G. Dall Kammer prosecuted the case.